Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What size photograph should I buy?

A: A general guideline used by many interior designers is to measure the wall space where you would like to hang artwork and calculate 50% of the surface area. For example, if you are looking to hang a print over your sofa and the wall space between windows is 5 feet, 50% of that would be roughly 30 inches. If you had a large interior wall space without windows in a room that is 12 feet long, you would want to decorate with artwork that would cover roughly 6 feet (72 inches) in which case you might elect to hang a gallery of 2-3 Signature Wall Prints or 4 Portfolio Gallery Prints that are framed at 16x20.

Q: Is Art a good investment?

A: While I cannot offer investment advice, I will say that art as a commodity item has historically increased in value and is held as an investment by major corporations and art patrons. Whether or not my photography will increase in value is yet to be determined. It's greatest value probably won't be achieved until I die! Therefore, you should purchase photographic artwork based upon the emotional connection you have to the work rather than the potential financial value.

However you can be assured that I am doing what I can to insure the value of the work remains high by using the best quality materials, implementing museum conservation framing and matting processes, and providing a certificate of ownership that depicts all of the necessary image information an appraiser would need to assess future value. Beyond this, I can also share with you that buying a piece of artwork from someone like me who has been active in the industry for almost 20 years should retain a higher value as compared to a virtually unknown young new artist.

Q: Do you sell Limited Edition Prints?

A: Yes and No. Limited Edition Prints were the result of printing processes utilizing a plate and a press. After so many impressions the original "matrix" or plate began to wear down and the resulting image quality suffered causing printers to set limits based upon quality. A photographic print does not fit this model. Perfect reproductions are possible every time. Therefore to set a limit to the number of prints is a mere attempt to control supply and demand and to artificially add value to the image.

Photography however has had an interesting affect on value. The more we see an image reproduced, the greater its popularity, and the greater its perceived value by the consumer. An interesting example of this is found in automobiles. I own a 1958 Buick, of which only approximately 10,000 were ever made. If you believe value is based upon scarcity, then my Buick should be highly valued, but actually, the most valuable car from that era is the 1957 Chevrolet Belair of which there were over 180,000 cars made. It could be said that the reason some artwork is so valuable is because of it's mass photographic reproduction. How many of us have actually seen the Mona Lisa painting, and yet all of us have seen photographs of it.

I do not artificially set limits on the number of prints. Many photographers will sell you a print as a limited edition of say 1/50. The reality is the photographer did not make all 50 prints and has only ever sold 5 of the image, and yet an appraiser is going to look at the value of the image based upon a false number of images in circulation. There is a natural market limitation to the images I sell that is made up of buyer interest and time. Over time I create new images and market them instead of the older images. Every print I sell is numbered and a buyer is entitled to up to date information of how many images are currently in circulation. When you buy a print is is highly likely you will own a print that has been made fewer than five times before I become bored with it and move on to newer imagery. To add to the complexity of this issue is the effect of time and technology and printing. As I said earlier, every print comes with a certificate of ownership that documents every aspect of the making of the print including the number and date of the printing. As time goes by, an artist reworks an image in new and interesting ways, when the artist stops producing art, a critical factor in establishing value is to look at when the image was made. For example, you can buy an original Ansel Adams print (he never created limited editions of his work) but to know it's true value you would have to look at when the print was made to know whether he printed it himself, or had one of his many darkroom assistants print it. In later years, Ansel Adams reprinted many of his earlier images in ways that look completely different from the original.

To summarize, I do not artificially limit the size of an edition but I do keep accurate records of each print sold and provide updated information upon request. Each image is limited over time and the reality is most images will never be printed more than 10 times before I move on to newer work because that is the nature of an artist.

Q: Do you offer payment plans?

A:Yes! I want you to enjoy the photograph in your home or office as soon as possible! With a minimum 50% deposit You may arrange to make up to 2 additional payments for Signature Wall Prints, however there are no returns or exchanges once the artwork is in your possession prior to the final payment. Portfolio Gallery Prints must be paid for in advance. A 50% deposit is required on all custom ordered prints not already in stock in the gallery.

Q: What if I change my mind once I hang the photograph, can I get a refund?

A: Due to the very custom nature of our work and extreme fluxations in manufacturing supplies and costs, I cannot issue full refunds. I will however, allow you to exchange your artwork within 30 days for a different image, or I will apply your payments towards a gift certificate for a commissioned portrait or a different landscape piece to be redeemed within 1 year of issue.